


A Rose, By Any Other Name

by LadyMorgaine76



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Flowers, Friendship/Love, Gen, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-18
Updated: 2019-05-08
Packaged: 2020-01-16 05:03:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18514447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyMorgaine76/pseuds/LadyMorgaine76
Summary: A flower appears on Lance's bed, and it gives him the certainty he needed.But Lance has other plans that don't include rushing headlong...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Stella_Maris_Ecrit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stella_Maris_Ecrit/gifts).



> First of all, this is not linking to my fics. It's another AU to link with a particular headcanon from a Twitter mutual!  
> I'm building this up because I loved the idea of linking Spanish speaking Keith, flower symbology, Singing Lance, and mutual pining with a fully aware Lance vs the usual Oblivious Dumbass hc!

**_“Por eso esperaba con la carita empapada_ ** ****  
**_Que llegaras con rosas, con mil rosas para mí_ ** ****  
**_Por que ya sabes que me encantan esas cosas_ ** ****  
**_Que no importa si es muy tonto soy así_ ** ****  
**_Y aún me parece mentira que se escape mi vida_ ** ****  
**_Imaginando que vuelves a pasarte por aquí_ ** ****  
**_Donde los viernes cada tarde como siempre_ ** **_  
_ ** ****_La esperanza dice: Quieta, hoy quizá sí”_

**_Rosas - La Oreja de Van Gogh_ **

 

 ♡♡♡

 

The first flower took him by surprise…

A blue flower, in all similar to one of Earth’s roses, but this one didn't have an artificial engineered colour and it's official Olkari name was Calydris.

Nevertheless, it was a rose!

Lance sat in his bed going through his memories of meanings of flowers, which he knew because why not? You don't get the loverboy tag not learning something as basic as the different meanings of flowers, right?

Ok, that was bullshit…

He learned about roses because his abuela was obsessed by flowers to the point of naming his mama Rosa.

 _“Blue roses, blue roses… what did abuelita said about them?”_ He thought to himself.

Then, the memory came to him as clear as an image of a page from a book…

Blue roses: Mystery, Secret Admirer, Unattainable Love!

Oh…

OH!

He took the fragrant rose, with an aroma that awkwardly reminded him more of freesias than actual roses, and gazed at it almost reverently.

_Keith!_

 

♡♡♡

 

“Hey, Allura?” Lance peeked at the Altean princess, sitting silently at the main computer. “Can you help me with something?” He asked shyly.

Allura turned around with a smile. “Of course. What did you need?”

Lance rubbed the back of his neck, feeling suddenly vulnerable. He was about to confide in Allura with something very personal… something not even Hunk knew of all the details.

“It's because of this…” He took out the rose, carefully hidden inside his jacket, showing it to Allura.

“Ah… Lance… uh…” The princess looked somewhat confused, to which Lance was quick to react.

“No, no, no, no! It's not… no!” He rushed. “I found this on my bedroom yesterday.” He rolled his eyes. “And I'm like one hundred percent sure who put it there… the help I need is not about the identity of the one who gave me this. It's… well… I was thinking. Do you have any way to, you know, preserve this in any way?”

“Preserve it?”

“Well, yeah! Back on Earth I used to make this cool scrapbooks with pressed flowers, but I thought maybe you had some fancy Altean way to do it!”

Allura smirked at her friend. “Someone's getting sentimental over flowers!” She winked. “So. You're going to tell me who's your secret admirer?”

Lance squinted at Allura, shaking his head.

“Really? Like doing that particular math is really _that hard_?”He scoffed. “But let's pretend I'm actually as oblivious as anyone makes me out to be and that you're actually blind! Let's exclude you off the bat! We're friends, it was fun to tease you at first, but I think we both know I'm starting to see you as more of a surrogate sibling than anything else…”

“Thank you.” Allura gave him a mock bow.

“You're welcome! I might even feel inclined to ask my parents to formally adopt you whenever we get back to Earth…” He winked. “But let's proceed. Coran his too old and our Space Uncle. So, no… Shiro is also too old, he was my teacher and he's our honorary Space Dad! Hunk’s straight, Pidge is a child and AroAce, so no… Guess who's left?”

Allura took the flower from Lance's hand with a bright smile.

“So, you do know?”

“About Keith's feelings? Yes.”

“So, why keep up this charade of a false rivalry?”

“Honestly?” Lance took a seat near Allura, his shoulders slightly slumped. “Back at Garrison? When I first saw Keith? I was a nothing but a child going through the motions of a first crush on a boy and I rushed headlong into it! I remember blurting out to Hunk that I had just found my future husband… what a delusional kid I was… but then, Keith just froze as I was about to introduce myself to him, turned away and just left…”

Allura winced, taking one of Lance's hands and giving it a squeeze.

“That must have been hard for you.”

“It was.” Lance nodded. “I spent the rest of the evening crying into Hunk’s arms like my life had just ended.” He snorted. “Dumb kid's stuff… that's why I picked up that foolish rivalry. I was gonna show him just what he was missing out! You can imagine my shock when we got thrown into this corner of the universe and Mr Grumpy Cat himself started flirting with me out of the blue!”

“What I don't understand is why don't you just tell him you still like him?”

Lance shook his head vehemently. “No, Allura. Because Keith isn't ready. I know this because to each step forward he takes, he takes two steps back..”

“I don't get it…” Allura frowned.

“There's something in his past that weighs him down.” Lance explained. “His father's death. Shiro, who's his big brother in every way except by blood, disappearing. His mother leaving him. It's too much! It makes him scared of taking the chance. In his head there's always the risk that I'd become another person who’d leave him.”

“So, what's your plan?”

“Remain by his side no matter what. Wait. Give him time to heal and take the time to notice I've never left.”

“And collect blue Calydrises?” Allura smiled, gently waving the flower.

“Roses…”

“That's not its name.”

“It is on Earth!” Lance gave her a lopsided grin. “What's in a name? That which we call a rose  
By any other word would smell as sweet…” He took the flower back, inhaling its perfume, marvelling again at the thought that Keith had chosen this flower! This particular flower…

A Rose.

Like in the song he so loved.

The song his mother loved and that he'd learned by heart before his sixth birthday.

The song Luís taught him to play on the guitar.

The song Keith had walked in as Lance absent-minded sang with the Red Paladin in his mind again.

As always!

Keith who was fluent in Spanish!

And then, a few days after that, this flower he now held, made its appearance in his bedroom…

“And that was?” Allura side eyed him, with a curious expression.

“Poetry.”

“So, you're going to woo Keith with poetry?”

“Eventually…”

“Well, if you're intent on keeping the flower, I might be able to help you!”

“Nice!”

 

♡♡♡

 

The flower, perfectly preserved, pressed into a transparent sheet, was lovingly kept in a folder that Allura had dispensed, because Lance was sure that more flowers would follow…

So, he was going to collect them all. Preserve them all and wait…

One day, the time would be right and Lance would be there to let Keith know he would choose him again and again, that he wasn't going anywhere…

But for now, he was going to take it slow and offer the one thing that wouldn't scare Keith away and to would be the right prelude to something more!

He would strengthen their friendship until love evolved from it naturally, matured and not rushed!

He could hardly wait to love Keith Kogane with all his heart!

 

♡♡♡

  
  



	2. This Rose That I Hold Close

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, I decided to go multi chapter with this...
> 
> Lance keeps the roses has precious treasures with Allura's help.
> 
> We get a view into Keith's state of mind as he keeps on anonymously leaving the blue roses (Calydris) on Lance's bed.
> 
> It's short and sweet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title is from Mae Stein's poem The Rose Of Blue.

**_A fuego lento me haces agua_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Contigo tengo el alma enamorada_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Me llenas, me vacías, me desarmas_ ** **_  
_ ** ****_Ah, ay, ay, amor cuando me amas_

 

_ A fuego lento - Rosana _

 

♡♡♡

 

As the roses kept arriving, Lance often wondered how exactly did Keith managed to get a hold of the flowers since they weren't always on Olkari and yet they kept appearing on top of Lance's bed, usually one per week!

Still, it made him feel absolutely elated to know the Red Paladin cared so much as too keep up with his ‘secret admirer’ routine.

On his part, Lance had slowly begun to change their dynamics, taking the initial ribbing and turning it into a more friendly teasing, making sure the other boy took notice of such change.

The competitive spirit was still there, but now it had a playful tone to it.

All in all, Lance was feeling satisfied of the evolution that their relationship was experiencing, and they no longer could be considered rivals but actual friends!

Lance just needed to be a bit more patient and trust he was on the right path! 

Building up true love was a long term affair…

One he was diving into with all his might!

 

♡♡♡

  
  


The small corner of the nearly neglected hydroponic gardens had quickly become Keith's favourite spot in the Castle of Lions.

No one questioned his absences, believing him to be locked again on the training deck, doing his best to wipe the floor with the gladiator droids. So, naturally, no one imagined he spent his evenings tending to dozens of Calydris’ bushes given to him by Ryner.

The blue rose-like flowers blossomed, spreading their sweet aroma throughout the garden. Their vibrant colour reminded Keith of Lance's blue eyes. 

Blue as the ocean that Keith had only seen on a screen, but never out on the real world.

An ocean that filled his dreams, where he saw himself walking barefoot on white sand, with the warmth of the sun caressing his skin and long fingers intertwined with his, paired with a freckled face gazing adoringly at him with those blue eyes he revered…

It was only a dream. But how he wished it could come true!

If only he'd find the courage to do more than just slipping into Lance's bedroom to leave those blue roses…

If only his mind would stop imagining all kinds of scenarios in which Lance would leave/laugh at him/push him aside…

There was also the problem that sometimes, instead of sweet dreams about a future with Lance, his nights would be filled with nightmares of the Blue Lion being destroyed taking the boy he adored with her…

On those nights, he tossed and turned, jolting awake with tears streaming down his cheeks, and without fail he would go outside of his bedroom, pressing his ear to Lance's door until he heard the faint snores from the Blue Paladin as he peacefully slept, unaware of Keith's ordeal.

One day, maybe he'd be strong enough to bare his feelings towards Lance, but for now admiring him in the shadows, being at arms’ length and reveling on the fact that their friendship seemed to be getting stronger and that Lance didn't seem to look upon him as a rival anymore, was more than enough.

It just puzzled him the fact that, as loud as the Cuban boy was, he hadn't brought up the fact that he'd been receiving the flowers every week!

He looked happier, for sure! But he’d never mentioned anything…

Was that a good sign? Keith honestly couldn't tell. But the roses would keep coming, because it was a way to pour out his heart into that small action, leaving the flower on top of his bed, gently taking his lips to its silky petals as if they were surrogates to Lance's perfect lips. He liked to imagine Lance taking the flower to his lips too, like he dreamt of it being his own lips in the Calydris’ place.

Dreams and wishes were all he had, for now…

Maybe one day…

Maybe…

 

♡♡♡

 

“What are you doing?” Allura questioned Lance with amusement in her voice. “Are you going to hand me that flower so I can preserve it for you, or are you going to keep pretending those petals are Keith's lips?” She asked with a wink.

Lance blushed, opening his eyes and handing the Calydris to Allura.

“I… I wasn't…”He stammered. “I have no idea what you're talking about!” He crossed the arms, pouting at his friend.

“Hmmm… A likely story.” Allura settled the flower between two crystalline sheets of a flexible material that resembled plastic, though they were much more sturdy than that. A press-like machine slowly began enclosing the flower into the sheets, turning the blue flower into a thin, though perfectly detailed pressed flower. “You might even convince me, if not for the detail that I  _ know  _ you're falling hard for our very own Keith Kogane!”

Lance stuck his tongue out, retrieving the thinly pressed flower and holding it to his chest. 

“I'm falling the right amount at the right pace, thank you very much!”

“Lance…” Allura rested a hand on his shoulder. “If all of this ‘waiting until Keith's ready’ plan actually works out, I demand to be one of the witnesses to your wedding!”

“Allura!!!” Lance gaped.

“What?”

“That's…”

“What you dreamed about when you were thirteen?”

“I am never telling you anything, ever again…” Lance grumbled.

Allura gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“Whatever you say, Lance…” She chuckled. “How many flowers does that make so far?”

“Sixteen.”

“That's some dedication!”

Lance flashed a wide smile. 

“I know…”

“Get out of here, you softie… you'll start drooling all over the floor!”

Lance hid the sheet under his jacket and left, humming absent minded to another Spanish song that his abuela played on the daily. 

Sixteen weeks was a long time to hide the secret of the not so mysterious flowers, and to try and not just go to Keith and tell him that he knew…

But he could do this!

The reward could be a lifetime by Keith's side and he couldn't think of a better goal in his life!

 

♡♡♡

 


	3. Will You Return When The Roses Bloom?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith leaves for the BOM and Lance feels the absence deep in his heart.  
> But after Naxzela, some secrets might be too hard to stay hidden...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been having lots of fun daydreaming this AU!  
> I hope all of you loved it as much as I do.

**_“No quiero imaginar, quiero saber cómo se siente_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Que un beso me desnude el alma y me hormigueen los pies_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Sus brazos ser mi abrigo en los fríos de diciembre_ ** **_  
_ ** ******_Y en los días de verano juntos ver el sol nacer…”_**

**_Me Quiero Enamorar - Jesse & Joy_ **

 

♡♡♡

 

Twenty five roses…

Twenty five weeks…

And then not one more…

Not a flower on his bed, not his voice in the early mornings, not the sight of him every day.

No inside jokes. No dumb competitions. No teasing glares from violet eyes like storms on a full moon.

No more Keith…

And it hurt.

It hurt to have the confirmation of his feelings through his absence.

It hurt to keep a brave face, save appearances and keep on laughing when all he wanted was to cry…

Would he have stayed if he had told him? If he'd gone up to Keith and asked him to stay, not under the pretense of him being their líder, not because Team Voltron needed him, but because _he_ needed him.

If he'd said those words, would Keith have chosen to stay?

And what choice would that have been?

Stay, because I want you to.

Stay, because I need you to.

Stay, despite the answers about your mother lying within the Blades.

Stay, because I said so.

I. I. I….

No.

That would have been wrong. Keith had been honest with them about why he was going, and he had implied this was temporary and that he would be back, somehow, someday…

And back he was, though not definitively yet, Lance reminded himself, running from Red’s hangar to where Keith's Galra fighter stood.

He had no idea what he would say to the other boy, all he could think of was the distant echoes of Matt and Keith's exchange, back on Naxzela…

_“Wait! Keith! What are you doing?! Keith, no!”_

And then…

He was painfully aware of what Keith was going to do. The thought that he could have lost him right there and then… it had almost been to much.

So, now he was going through the motions of being pissed off and relieved!

Pissed off because, one: Of all people to save their asses that day, it just _had_ to be Lotor… two: _Keith almost died!_ So, there!

Relieved because Keith was alive!

He arrived at the auxiliary hangar as Keith stepped down from the fighter and all common sense was out of the airlock as he ran towards him, tackling him in a tight hug.

“You absolute asshole!” He yelled. “Don't you ever do that again! Ever!”

Lance felt Keith go rigid for a second, but then he felt arms wrapping around his waist and Keith's face pressing into the crook of his neck. The fact that the other boy was shivering also didn't go unnoticed.

“You were going to die…” Keith's words came out somewhere between a whisper and a sob. “You were _all_ going to die.” He added. “I had to. It was the only way…”

Lance held him tighter, all of the tension that had been building up from the battle, the anger at the thought that he was going to die in Naxzela, the anxious feeling of not knowing if they could make, added with the realisation that Keith had chosen to sacrifice his life and _then_ Lotor just saving the day out of the blue, it just washed through him like that shiver of relief you get after intense physical exertion…

“You're still not authorized to do that ever again! Unless you're trying to give me a heart attack…” He snorted, trying to lift up the mood. “Was that your secret objective, Mullet?”

“You're too young to have a heart attack.” Keith managed to offer him a small smile, now facing Lance though his arms didn't release the Paladin’s waist, just as the warmth of Lance's arms still held on tight around Keith's shoulders.

“You never know…”

“I thought you said you have a strong heart?”

“Keith…” Lance stared intently into Keith's eyes. “There's a lot about my heart that you don't know…”

 _“Like how lately it only seems to beat for you. Like how right now it's beating wildly and only half of it is due to the pressure of battle. Like how I swear it skips a beat each time you smile at me and each night when I found another rose on my bed…”_ Lance thought to himself.

“All I know is all you've told me…” There's was something in Keith's expression that came across as a mix of hurt and… hope? Was this the opening he needed? Was this the right moment? Was Keith stepping out of his comfort zone?

“But are you ready to listen…? Will you stay if I finally say the right words?” And it felt like a whisper leaving his lips without permission, like they'd just managed to escape the place in his heart where they'd been secluded… in refuge… and now, the tip of the veil was just on Keith's fingertips, for him to decide if to lift the rest or to let go!

“I would return…” Keith sighed, his eyes glistening. “I have to go back, Lance… I'm still not anyway close to find out who was my mother and what happened to her, but I'll come back!”

So, this was it…

The turning point.

Always so frontal with actions, Keith was always wary of words when they applied to his feelings, and yet, on a roundabout way, Lance guessed it was as close as he'd get for any sort of confession… for now.

“Will you be here in time for the new roses to bloom?” _How's about roundabout for you, cariño?_

The wide eyes and the open mouth looked kinda lovely on Keith, if Lance was being honest…

It had been bittersweet to accidentally stumble across the almost hidden corner where the blue Calydris grew, and the lack of Keith made him find refuge on that small place within the hydroponic gardens, though he didn't even dare to try and pick one. No. That was for Keith to do only!

“I miss it…” Lance admitted, knowing he didn't have to say what exactly.

“There's only some missing.” Keith said, with something akin to his usual rebellious streak but laced with a kind of emotion Lance had only imagined to finally have directed at him.

“Six.” Lance smirked. “But who's counting?”

“You are?”

“And you weren't?”

Keith smiled, hiding his face against Lance's shoulder.

“Do you want Earth time or Altean time?”

“I miss Earth time…”

“Six weeks, three days, 15 hours and 10 minutes… give or take.”

“Sap!”

“Shush! Or no more flowers for you.” Keith gave him one of those lopsided grins Lance adored, making his heart skip a beat.

“Just change your colour…”

“Oh?”

“I was thinking red.”

“Not too soon for red roses?”

“Hasn't been in a long time.”

“Oh…” Keith whispered.

“Keith?” Lance took his face into his hands.

“Yes?”

“Can I kiss you?”

They stood gazing into each other's eyes, like time stood still around them. Keith reached his hands to cup Lance's face too.

“Yes, please…”

Lance's lips brushed Keith's tentatively at first, soft and slow, until he felt Keith pressing harder, with a sense of urgency, their feelings bare as hands brushed through locks of hair and they found a better position to deepen the kiss.

_“Can you hear my heart racing, mi amor? Do you know now? Will you come back and stay with me? Can I be yours forever?”_

The kiss ended as softly and tender as it had begun, both boys trembling with the raw emotion and eyes glistening with happy tears slowly running through their cheeks. Happy chuckles left their lips as they hugged closer, cheek to cheek, hearts beating in time with the certainty of young love that laid a new path in front of them.

“Keith?”

“Yes?”

“We're surviving this mad war and we're going back home, because I wanna take you on a date on Varadero!” Lance told him, intent hanging on to his every word, blue eyes locked into violet ones.

Keith smiled widened.

“Is that a promise?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

“Hmmm…” Lance suddenly froze, looking towards the hangar’s door. “Uh… Keith? Don't you find it odd that _none of them_ has barged into the hangar yet?” A suspicion arose in Lance's mind.

“The others…” Keith's eyes opened wide as he considered Lance's reasoning. “Oh, no…”

“They're gonna give us a hard time, won't they?”

“What?” Keith raised an eyebrow. “You scared?”

“With you by my side? Never!”

 

♡♡♡

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please go listen to Jesse and Joy!  
> They're awesome. Joy's voice is amazing and there's so many Klance songs right there!


	4. Watching The Roses Grow With You By My Side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Somewhere, on the garden on a white house, with a blue door, in Varadero, roses of many colours grow...  
> Like Keith and Lance's love!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of this fic.  
> I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I loved writing it!  
> The journey to get here, taught me a lot about new songs and flower meanings and all that. I love whenever I get to learn new things to better write my stories.  
> Drop me a comment. Tell me if you liked it.  
> But most of all...  
> BE HAPPY!

**_Cuando el tiempo pasa y nos hacemos viejos nos empieza a parecer_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Que pesan más los daños que los mismos años, al final_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Por eso yo quiero que mis años pasen junto a ti mi amor eterno_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Junto a mi familia junto a mis amigos y mi voz_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Porque nada valgo porque nada tengo, si no tengo lo mejor_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Tu amor y compañía en mi corazón_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Y es que vale más un año tardío que un siglo vació amor_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Y es que vale más tener bien llenito el corazón_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Por eso yo quiero que en mi mente siempre tu cariño este bien fuerte_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Aunque estemos lejos o aunque estemos cerca del final_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Porque nada valgo porque nada tengo, si no tengo lo mejor_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Tu amor y compañía en mi corazón_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Ven amor_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Me siento débil cuando estoy sin ti_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Y me hago fuerte cuando estas aquí_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Sin ti yo ya no se que es vivir_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Mi vida es un túnel sin tu luz_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Quiero pasar más tiempo junto a ti_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Recuperar las noches que perdí_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Vencer el miedo inmenso de morir_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Y ser eterno junto a ti_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Porque nada valgo porque nada tengo si no tengo lo mejor_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Tu amor y compañía en mi corazón_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Por eso yo quiero que en mi mente siempre tu cariño este bien fuerte_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Aunque estemos lejos o aunque estemos cerca del final_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Porque nada valgo porque nada tengo si no tengo lo mejor_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Tu amor y compañía en mi corazón_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Ven amor_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Me siento débil cuando estoy sin ti_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Y me hago fuerte cuando estas aquí_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Sin ti yo ya no se que es vivir_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Mi vida es un túnel sin tu luz_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Quiero pasar más tiempo junto a ti_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Recuperar las noches que perdí_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Vencer el miedo inmenso de morir_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Y ser eterno junto a ti_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Porque nada valgo porque nada tengo si no tengo lo mejor_ ** **_  
_ ** ****_Tu amor y compañía en mi corazón_

 

**_Juanes - Nada Valgo Sin Tu Amor_ **

 

♡♡♡

 

What is happiness?

How do you measure such an emotion?

At what point in life could you say that you were truly happy?

Lance had lived through the motions of navigating the frail balance of happiness and sorrow, picking himself up and moving on when the events so demanded, and he'd never, ever given up on life, always intent on looking for that silver lining no matter what!

Coming back home had been bittersweet, but here he was, the sun caressing his skin and the waves rolling in as he walked through his childhood beach, for the first time in years not having to look over his shoulder…

This was happiness, right?

Feeling the white sand under his feet, breathing in the salty air, listening to the cheerful voices of his family, engrossed in whatever conversation they were having, while Sylvio and Nadia played idly on the water.

But the best of it all? The one detail that made him believe perfect happiness existed? The hand clasping his, fingers entwined in a firm but tender grip. The luminous smile on that face he adored. The mesmerizing eyes that carried a light that made them look more lilac these days. The raven hair in a braid that reached the end of Keith's shoulder blades, that was all his to play with on the lazy mornings they shared.

Yes, Lance was happy!

“A penny for your thoughts.” Keith whispered, tugging at his hand.

“They're yours for free…” Lance smiled back at him, pulling him closer, sliding his hand from Keith's grip to wrap it around his waist. “I'm really happy, you know?”

Keith kissed Lance's cheek relishing on the warmth of his closeness. “So am I.”

“God, I hope so!” Lance sighed. “Sometimes I worry you feel like you just _have_ to stay here! That you feel like I'm holding you back or whatever…”

“Suuuure… because it's soooo hard to have to, oh, you know… have to see the beach from our new kitchen like everyday! So, hard… I mean… if I'm not the most self sacrificing dude in the whole world, then I don't know…” Keith chuckled, rolling his eyes at Lance.

“Ah, ah… very funny…” Lance side eyed Keith. “You know what I mean. I would follow you anywhere, Keith…”

Keith pressed his fingers to Lance's mouth, softly shaking his head. “I never felt forced to either come to Cuba, or stay here in order to be with you. I was my choice. I thought for a long time about what I wanted and this is it! I love it here! I've fallen in love with this place over the two years we've spent together. I love our new home, do you understand that? This is my home. _You_ are my home! I've never, at any moment felt like I was trapped here. I chose Varadero like I chose you… with all of my heart!”

“Even when I'm an obnoxious pain in the ass?” Lance smirked through misty eyes at such a heartfelt admission from Keith, who turned to pull his boyfriend into a tight embrace.

“Are you kidding me? I especially like your obnoxiousness!”

“That's… not a word…”

“Yes it is.” Keith nodded.

Lance, on the other hand, looked unimpressed fishing for his phone and writing on it. Keith just shook his head, amused.

“Seriously, Lance?”

“Ok, so you're right…” Lance pouted at the screen.

“I usually am.” Keith smiled triumphantly. “Get used to it.” He winked, leaning in to steal a quick kiss from his boyfriend’s pouty lips.

“Cocky!” Lance chuckled, returning the kiss.

“Lance!” They turned to Lance's mother, calling them from under the shade. “Ya nos vamos. Es once de la mañana!”

“Ok. Nos quedamos un poco más.”He shouted towards his family. “Y no te olvides, cenamos todos en mi casa.”

“A las siete?”

“Si, Mami.” Both men waved at the McClains leaving the beach. “We have all afternoon for ourselves…” Lance smirked, pulling Keith to his side as they walked beside the rolling waves.

“Hmmm…” Keith wiggled his eyebrows. “Just you, me and the kitchen!”

“Don't exaggerate! We can prepare dinner in two hours! Besides, it's your future mother-in-law’s birthday.”

“ _Future_?” Keith scoffed. “Last time I checked, you didn't ask me a damn thing yet!”

“Well, I would if you'd let me!” Lance complained.

“I'm not stopping you!”

Lance shook his head.

“I'm not going to ask you just like that, on our way home and…”

“And what?” Keith chuckled.

“It's just not…”

“Romantic?”

“Well, yeah!”

They both stopped, just a couple of steps from their home, overlooking the beach. Lance always wanted to make this a special occasion. After six years together, and two years actually living together, he believed that this was the right time… but he wanted to do it the right way! With their family and friends watching, all stupidly romantic and cheesy, and hopefully with lots of happy tears!

“I can almost hear the gears grinding on your brain, Lance!”

Lance whispered.

“I had plans you know?”

“Lance…”

“You really don't want to make this a big deal, do you?”

“I think you're seeing it the wrong way.” Keith raised his hands to cup Lance's face, staring into his ocean eyes. “It is a big deal to me! But you wanna go the loud and public way and I… I just want this to be _our_ moment. You know how I get with too much people around… how I had to gradually adapt to the boisterous nature of your relatives, and you want to make a public proposal?”

Lance pondered on Keith's words. Of course it was not the proposal _per se_ that was making him nervous! It was having to go through it with everyone watching and waiting for his reaction!

Oh, well…

“I guess my original plan has just been thrown out the window…” He said.

“Please tell me you weren't planning to ask me during your mother's birthday party…”

“I cannot confirm nor deny…” Lance raised an eyebrow.

“That's…” Keith pinched the bridge of his nose. “You were really going to steal your mom's thunder?”

“Well, now that you mention it.”

“You're lucky I love you!”

“I guess we're doing this, uh?” Lance pulled Keith into a kiss, before turning towards the water where Kosmo jumped around happily, following them home. “Kosmo! Get your fluffy tail over here!”

A blue flash saw Kosmo disappearing only to reappear next to Lance, wagging his tail and licking his hand. Lance leaned towards the wolf, whispering into his ear.

“What're you doing?” Keith squinted at him.

“You'll see!”

As on queue, Kosmo teleported away from them, and after a bit, teleported back, dropping an object onto Lance's hands.

“Thanks, Kosmo!” He smiled at the wolf, scratching behind Kosmo’s ear. “You want it private, I'll give you private!” He announced, guiding them towards the deck of their house, semi-hidden by the palm trees at each side.

“Wait…”Keith froze, his eyes wide as he saw Lance beginning to kneel in front of him, with a purple box on his hand. “Are you…? Seriously?”

“Yup!” Lance beamed, clearing his voice and opening the box, to reveal a ring inside, sitting on crushed velvet. “Now, let me do this right!” He took a deep breath, looking somewhat solemn. “Keith Akira Kogane, will you marry me?”

“Oh! Wow! Yeah, this is it!” Keith practically beamed, gazing at the ring on the box, two gems shaped like roses, one blue, the other red, side by side. The ring itself resembled the stems and leaves of the roses, delicately entwined and thoroughly sculpted. It was the most beautiful ring Keith had ever laid eyes on!

It was even prettier then the one he'd bought for Lance!

Because he'd went ahead and did _that_!

Because he knew Lance wanted to marry him!

And he was going to ask him next week. On their sixth anniversary.

That is, if he'd just kept his mouth shut! Not that he was really annoyed… after all, Lance was kneeling in front of him, popping the question!

… And waiting for an answer…

Keith grabbed his free hand, pulling him up and sticking out his right hand, with a wide smile.

“Lance Esteban Hernandez McClain, there's nothing more that I want in this life than to marry you!” He whispered.

Lance took the ring and gently slided it on Keith's finger, staring at it for a moment than, taking his now fiancé’s hand to his lips, kissing it tenderly.

“I have something else for you too…” Lance told him, his hand shaking slightly as he opened the front door. Hand in hand, he guided Keith upstairs, towards their bedroom. Once there, Lance took out a big box from the wardrobe, opening it and retrieving a thick folder. He sat on the bed signaling Keith to join him.

“I wanted to show you this.” Lance gazed lovingly into those precious eyes he loved so much. “I've kept this with me, like a treasure. I've kept _all_ of them…” He handed Keith the silver-grey folder, looking expectantly at his face, gauging his reaction as Keith opened the folder and gaped at the sight of page after page of preserved, blue Calydrises. Thirty one in total.

“You kept them!” Keith let out in a sigh, his eyes glistening and a stubborn tear threatening to fall.

“Of course I did, my love!” Lance rested his forehead against Keith's, caressing his cheek. “No one had ever offered me roses before! And knowing it was you? That you liked me too? I was ecstatic about it! Hell yeah, I found a way to keep them!”

“Lame…” Keith chuckled, wiping his eyes.

“Just the way you like me!” Lance smiled, pulling Keith to his lap. “You gave me blue roses, red roses… I think we should add white roses to our garden too.”

“I think so too!”

Both men laughed, sharing a kiss and holding on to each other like their lives depended on it.

“We should let Kosmo out into the backyard…” Lance whispered into Keith's mouth.

“He can teleport there if he wants to. He won't come in here,  so… Mr McClain… let's _celebrate_ our engagement properly.” Keith smiled invitingly.

“I like the way you think.” Lance laughed, dragging Keith with him as he laid on the bed. “C’mere pretty boy…”

“I love you.” Keith whispered, losing himself in Lance's arms, revelling in the closeness.

The physical and the emotional one.

“I love you too. Now and forever!”

  


_The Beginning..._

 

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